Computing technology has a profound influence in our society. Students work together to use technology for creative expression, write computer programs to solve problems, use digital tools to make meaning from vast amounts of information and to understand how the Internet supports modern communication. Fulfills General Education Foundations - Mathematical Sciences. Offered fall and winter semesters. Prerequisite: MTH 108 and MTH 109, or MTH 110, or fulfillment of MTH 110 through Math Placement.
Winter 2026 - Online
Basic principles of computing, including study of the major components of a computer system. Introduction to software packages such as word processors, spreadsheets, databases, and languages. (3-0-0) Offered every semester.
Winter 2026 - Online Spring/Summer 2026 - Online
The ability to apply computation to address challenging problems is a critical skill in any discipline. Students will develop programming and computational skills emphasizing problem solving, logical inference, and algorithmic thinking to solve specific problems in the areas of the arts, humanities, health care, and business. Fulfills General Education Foundations - Mathematical Sciences. Offered every semester. Prerequisite: MTH 108 and MTH 109 (or MTH 109).
Introduction to programming and computational thinking through lab and lecture. Simple and structured data types and program control structures. Problem analysis, algorithm design and implementation using a high-level language. Offered every semester. Prerequisite: MTH 108 and MTH 109, or MTH 110, or fulfillment of MTH 110 through Math Placement.
Intermediate object-oriented programming including inheritance, abstract classes, interfaces, and exception handling. An introduction to algorithms and data structures, basic analysis of performance using Big O notation, recursion, searching, sorting, linked lists, stacks, and queues. (3-0-2) Offered every semester. Prerequisites: MTH 122 or MTH 124 or placement into MTH 201 or above through Grand Valley math placement, and a C or better in either CIS 159 or CIS 162.
Fundamental and advanced functionalities of Microsoft Excel. The course integrates practical problem-solving techniques and advanced analytical tools through hands-on case studies. Offered fall and winter semesters. Prerequisite: MTH 108 and MTH 109, or MTH 110, or fulfillment of MTH 110 through Math Placement, or MTH 115 or MTH 122 or MTH 201.
An introduction to practical problems in network management such as reliability, performance, security, wire-line systems, wireless systems, data communications, local and wide-area networking protocols, SNMP protocol, and SNMP-based management. Offered winter semester. Prerequisite: CIS 150.
Study of the technology of Internet media, including graphics, video, audio, XML, and other emerging Internet technologies. Examines advanced features of the hardware and software requirements of those media. Also covers the implementation of those technologies through Web interface development. (3-0-0) Offered fall and winter semesters. Prerequisite: CIS 160 or CIS 162.
Introduction software infrastructure underlying development of computer programs. Topics include Linux utilities, shell scripting, processes, facilities for programming, the C programming language, libraries, structures, pointers, dynamic memory management, and system calls. Offered winter semester. Prerequisite: C or better in CIS 163 or C or better in CIS 260.
This course introduces all aspects of cybersecurity principles and technologies. Fundamental topics include cyber threats and vulnerabilities, information security frameworks, network security, cryptography, system defense, information security policy, legal and political issues, and security management. The course includes hands-on learning through experiments, case studies, and projects. Offered fall and winter semesters.
Algorithms and data structures, including heaps, hash tables, trees, graphs, greedy algorithms, divide and conquer, and dynamic programming will be covered. Analysis of algorithms as well as the complexity class of problems (P, NP, NPC) will be studied. Other topics include approximation, randomized algorithms and data structure implementation. (3-0-0) Offered fall and winter semesters. Prerequisites: C or better in either CIS 163 or CIS 164 and (MTH 225 or STA 220).
Spring/Summer 2026 - Online
History of the computing profession. Local and global impacts of computing technology on individuals, organizations, and society. Professional ethics and responsibilities. Personal privacy, security, and legal issues. Preparation for an internship in the computing field. Offered fall and winter semesters. Prerequisite: COM 201 and (CIS 163 or CIS 164 or CIS 258 or CIS 260).
Winter 2026 - Hybrid
An introduction to the concepts of information visualization, principles in vision and perception, and design principles for interactive visualizations. Emphasis is placed on analyzing, designing, developing, and evaluating visual representations of quantitative and qualitative content using visualization software that do not require technical backgrounds. Part of the Information, Innovation, or Technology Issue. Offered winter semester. Prerequisite: Junior standing.
Examines the system development and modification process. Emphasizes factors for effective communication with users and interpersonal skill development. Structured and object-oriented analysis and design, use of modeling (CASE) tools, methodological life cycle, and project management standards. (3-0-0) Offered fall and winter semesters. Prerequisites: CIS 162 and either CIS 250 or MGT 268.
This course will introduce the student to key technologies used for collecting, cleaning, manipulating, storing, analyzing, visualizing, and extracting useful information from large and diverse data sets. Upon completion of this course, students will be better prepared to assist organizations in facing the challenges of large-scale data analytics. Part of the Information, Innovation, or Technology Issue. (3-0-0) Offered fall semester. Prerequisites: STA 215 and junior standing.
Covers information systems design and implementation within a database management system environment. Students will design and construct a physical system using database management system software to implement the logical design. Examination of the system development and modification process. Emphasis on factors for effective communication with users and interpersonal skill development. (3-0-0) Offered every semester. Prerequisites: (CIS 162 or CIS 160) and (CIS 250 or MGT 268). Restrictions: Must be enrolled in the College of Computing or in the management major.
Data mining is the application of computational techniques to the discovery of useful information in large data sets. This course will provide a hands-on study of computational methods for such knowledge discovery. Topics include clustering, classification techniques, and selected data mining software. Offered winter semester. Prerequisites: (CIS 160 or CIS 161 or CIS 162) and STA 215.
Course covers the technologies, equipment, and protocols of the Internet. Lectures cover the design principles of WAN transport and routing protocols, Internet addresses, subnetting, and the Internet Protocol/Transmission Control Protocol. A set of laboratory experiments will provide hands-on experience with engineering a wide-area network and extensive work with routing equipment. Offered fall semester. Prerequisites: CIS 237, or CIS 337, or CIS 457.
A structured approach to project planning. Topics covered emphasize the knowledge areas of the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) that drive project initiation and definition leading to the development of a project schedule and budget. Students will prepare typical project management work products associated with initiating and planning projects. Offered winter semester.
Language definition structure. Data types and structures. Control structures and data flow. Lexical analysis and parsing. Interpretive languages. Run time considerations. Survey of programming languages. Offered winter semester. Prerequisite: CIS 241.
This course goes beyond the planning of a project and explores what other factors, when well-managed, lead to project success. Topics include current trends in project management. A major emphasis will be placed on understanding agile project management principles and their relationship to the project management body of knowledge (PMBOK). Offered winter semester.
Systems development life cycle from project request through project implementation and evaluation. Systems analysis and design concepts, tools, and techniques are emphasized. Traditional and structured approaches. Project management. (3-0-0) Offered fall and winter semesters. Prerequisite: CIS 163.
Introduction to the logical structure of computers, including combinational and sequential logic, arithmetic, data paths, CPU control, caches, and basic pipelining. Introduction to the interface between hardware and software focusing on data movement, arithmetic, comparing and branching, bit manipulation, procedure calling, memory access, and implementation of high-level language constructs. Offered fall and winter semesters. Prerequisites: MTH 225 and CIS 241.
The study and application of established sound principles in the modeling, design, implementation, and manipulation of databases using industrial-strength Database Management Systems (DBMS). Key features and services offered by a typical DBMS are also introduced. Offered fall and winter semesters. Prerequisite: CIS 163.
Introduction to security, privacy, and information assurance. Coverage will include not only security threats, attacks, and defenses, but also issues important to information assurance such as risk management, security planning, and ethical issues. Perspectives of computing professionals as well as computing users from other professions will be discussed. Part of the Information, Innovation, or Technology Issue. Offered winter semester. Prerequisite: Junior standing.
Principles of computer graphics. I/O devices. Basic graphic primitives and attributes. Transformations: translation, scaling, and rotation. World and screen coordinates, windows and viewports, clipping. Circle drawing. Graphics and text modes. Raster graphics. Filling algorithms. 3-D graphics. Hidden line/surface elimination. Offered winter semester of odd-numbered years. Prerequisite: CIS 263.
The tools and techniques for developing dynamic Web applications. Topics include scripting languages, markup languages, database connectivity, Web standards, and security issues. Offered winter semester. Prerequisites: (CIS 260 or CIS 163) and (CIS 333 or CIS 353).
Introduction to machine learning algorithms that learn and improve through experience. This course covers the algorithms, best practices, and use of machine learning methods on real-world applications. Topics include supervised learning, unsupervised learning, dealing with high-dimensional data, and deep learning. Offered winter semester. Prerequisites: CIS 263 and STA 215.
Foundations of cloud computing: infrastructure/platform/software-as-a-service, virtualization, cloud platforms, on-demand/cloud applications. Challenges of cloud computing such as security and geographic implications, full-stack development, and big data. Cloud application development, deployment, and management is also covered. Offered fall and winter semesters. Prerequisites: CIS 337 or CIS 457.
This course will introduce widely used ethical hacking techniques and help students develop their system hardening skills. Well-known tools for penetration testing will be introduced in hands-on activities. The knowledge base and skill set for a certified ethical hacker will be covered. Offered winter semester. Prerequisite: CIS 237 or CIS 337 or CIS 457.
Applied modern cryptographic and cryptanalysis techniques. Emphasis on the use of cryptographic mechanisms to secure large systems, and ways in which cryptographic mechanisms can fall vulnerable to cryptanalysis in deployed systems. Topics include symmetric ciphers, asymmetric ciphers, digital signatures, message authentication, cryptographic protocols, cryptanalysis techniques, and public-key infrastructure. Cross-listed with CIS 555. Offered fall semester. Prerequisites: CIS 241 and either CIS 337 or CIS 457.
Software reverse engineering including analysis techniques and disassembly algorithms. Component life cycle and the impact of the security of system components on the security of the whole system. Malware analysis techniques including the application of software reverse engineering to malware analysis and common methods used to protect malware against reverse engineering. Offered winter semester. Prerequisites: CIS 351 and CIS 258.
An introduction to data communications techniques, particularly as applied to computer networks. Physical media and devices, data link and network protocols, and other data communications topics will be studied. Offered fall and winter semesters. Prerequisite: CIS 241.
Hours, credit, topics, and time to be arranged with individual staff members with approval of the department. Offered every semester.
This course will introduce widely used ethical hacking techniques and help students develop their system hardening skills. Well-known tools for penetration testing will be introduced in hands-on activities. The knowledge base and skill set for a certified ethical hacker will be covered. Offered winter semester. Prerequisite: Admission to M.S.-Cybersecurity or admission to cybersecurity badge.
Both the process and the product aspects of requirements specification are examined; the concepts are applicable to systems and to software. The advantages and limitations of several requirements specification techniques are presented. (3-0-0)
This course presents the principles of information security, and how to integrate these principles into the systems life cycle. Coverage includes a broad overview of information security concepts, requirements, threats, vulnerabilities, and countermeasures, with an emphasis on designing for security, risk management, and security policies. Prerequisite: Admission to applied computer science, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, or software engineering.
This course covers advanced concepts and techniques to secure data and preserve privacy in a distributed multiuser environment. Topics include applied cryptography, network security, operating system security, and privacy preserving techniques.
An introduction to the application of digital forensics principles and practices to collect, examine, analyze, and preserve digital evidence in support of cyber forensics investigations in various computing systems. This course is a blended mix of lecture and hands-on exercises to reinforce the concepts discussed in the lecture. Prerequisite: Admission to M.S. -cybersecurity or cybersecurity badge.
A survey of computational methods for knowledge discovery in bioinformatics and medicine. Topics covered are dynamic programming (sequence alignment, BLAST search engine), Hidden Markov Models (phylogenetic trees, structure prediction), clustering and discriminations models for micro-array analysis (Gene Expression Data), selected data mining software, and working with biological databases. Prerequisite: Admission to a College of Computing graduate program.
Data communications and computer networking concepts, Internet architecture and protocols. Selected examples of client/server applications to introduce the functional requirements of Internet working. Basic cryptography and its applications, introduction to network security (firewalls, IPsec, VPN and SSL). Prerequisite: Admission to M.S. in applied computer science, artificial intelligence, software engineering, cybersecurity or cybersecurity badge or distributed systems badge.
Current and emerging techniques for developing applications supported by cloud computing technologies. Infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) (e.g., virtualization), Platform-as-a-service (PaaS) (e.g., cloud platforms), and Software-as-a-service (SaaS) (e.g., on-demand applications) will be explored. Cloud-specific concerns such as security and geographic implications, full-stack development, and big data are also included, among others. Offered winter semester. Prerequisite: Admission to a College of Computing graduate program.
Fundamental concepts and technologies underlying mobile application development. Important aspects of developing and deploying conventional mobile applications are covered, such as mobile user interfaces, location-based services, integration with social media and other Web-based services. Effective use of mobile analytics and privacy concerns will also be covered. Prerequisite: Admission into either applied computer science, artificial intelligence, or software engineering.
An introduction to information storage, manipulation, retrieval, analysis, and modeling techniques. Topics include database paradigms, data preparation, extract transform load processes, information pipelines, and large-scale analytics. Prerequisite: Admission to a College of Computing graduate program.
A survey of fundamental concepts of medical and bioinformatics methods and techniques involved in the integration of computer systems in medical centers and life science industries. Introduction to biomedical information systems; data representation, modeling, management, and mining; systems evaluation; project management practices for biomedical decision-making. Legal and ethical considerations.
Concepts of information visualization, principles in vision and perception, algorithms for building information spaces, and design principles for interactive visualizations. Emphasis is placed on analyzing, designing, developing, and evaluating visualizations and tools. Case studies demonstrate visualizations used to solve specific problems across a variety of domains. Prerequisite: Admission to a College of Computing graduate program.
Techniques and tools used in the design of applications that utilize database management systems. Detailed treatment of conceptual modeling, logical and physical design, and query languages. Services provided by database management systems to the level of detail needed by application designers. Introduces students to the scope of the database field. (3-0-0) Prerequisite: Admission to MS-ACS.
Broad introduction to machine learning computer programs that improve their performance with experience. Topics include decision trees, neural networks, statistical methods, genetic algorithms, Bayesian learning methods, explanation-based goal regression, reinforcement learning, and learning frameworks. Includes an applied machine learning component that provides exposure to established algorithms and machine learning programs. Prerequisite: Admission to a College of Computing graduate program.
This course covers emerging trends in database management systems to help students identify topics for research during and beyond the course. Specific contents and level of emphasis of each topic will be determined by the interests and expertise of faculty and students. Prerequisite: CIS 673 or CIS 660.
Faculty-supervised study and research on a suitable topic in computer information systems. Prerequisite: Consent of thesis advisor.
Individual student project involving the development or evaluation of a complex computing application or system. Prerequisites: Program director approval and the completion of the Responsible Conduct of Research Training within last three years.
Spring/Summer 2026 - Hybrid
